Characterizing deformability and surface friction of cancer cells

Synopsis

Metastasis requires Cancer cells to squeeze through tight spaces and travel through small capillaries, which is mediated by viscoelastic and frictional properties of the cells. In this paper, a device is introduced to precisely measure the size of a single cell, the velocity of the cell entering a constricted microchannel and the velocity of the cell as it transits through the constriction. Changing the deformability and the surface friction of the cell alters the entry and transit velocities, which gives insight into the factors affecting the passage of each cell. This paper shows that the increased deformability and reduced friction may be two factors in enabling invasive cancer cells to efficiently squeeze through tight spaces.